(19)
(11) EP 1 795 865 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
01.04.2009 Bulletin 2009/14

(43) Date of publication A2:
13.06.2007 Bulletin 2007/24

(21) Application number: 06125675.6

(22) Date of filing: 08.12.2006
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G01C 19/72(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR MK RS

(30) Priority: 09.12.2005 US 298439

(71) Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
Morristown NJ 07960 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Sanders, Glen A
    Scottsdale, MN 85255 (US)
  • Strandjord, Lee K
    Tonka Bay, MN 55331 (US)

(74) Representative: Haley, Stephen 
Gill Jennings & Every LLP Broadgate House 7 Eldon Street
London EC2M 7LH
London EC2M 7LH (GB)

   


(54) System and method for stabilizing light sources in resonator gyro


(57) Methods and apparatus are provided for stabilizing laser light sources of a resonator gyro. A resonator gyro comprises a first light source (12) configured to produce a first input light, a second light source (14) configured to produce a second input light, a resonator (25) coupled to the first and second light sources, a resonance detection circuit coupled to the resonator, and a controller (35, 36) coupled to the resonance detection circuit and the first and second light sources. The resonance detection circuit detects a resonance frequency for each of the counter-propagating directions of the resonator. The controller tunes the first input light to a clockwise resonance frequency, and tunes the second input light to a counterclockwise resonance frequency that is at least one longitudinal resonance mode away from the clockwise resonance frequency. A difference between the resonance frequencies is proportional to a rotational rate of the resonator gyro.







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